Say NBC -- now that you're canceling Tucker Carlson's show on MSNBC, why don't you give him Tim Russert's chair on Meet The Press?
Carlson is younger, better-looking and faster-talking. He's mastered the art of silencing people with whom he disagrees by talking over them (a skill Mr. Russert only evidences when ambush-questioning Senators Clinton and Obama while moderating debates).
What you lose in gravitas you'll more than make up for in intellectual honesty. Installing Carlson in the Meet The Press moderator's chair would put an end to that kabuki of even-handedness that Mr. Russert, you and your owners at General Electric have been fobbing off on Sunday morning political junkies for years.
Such a move would give your flagship political program the Fox News right wing shill aura it so richly deserves. Where else on network television can a Democratic politician go to get the Three Stooges treatment, with Mr. Russert in Moe's role, saying, "Why I oughta! C'mere!"
It's a role that Carlson could easily reprise.
The move would also free up Mr. Russert to pursue Democrats on a full time basis -- a pastime that is obviously near and dear to his heart. Who can forget the bulldog-like tenacity with which he pursued the Clintons in the past? Or the barely-concealed contempt for the unfortunate Al Gore and John "Too French" Kerry?
Mr. Russert would also be available for more of those softball games between your network and the Republican Party. Nobody can throw softballs to Republicans like he can. Nor can anyone fail to ask obvious follow up questions quite like that.
Do the right thing, NBC. Give Carlson Russert's Meet The Press gig. Either that or trade him to Fox News for Juan Williams and a liberal to be named later.
Russert's mission is to get his "gets" and keep his access to those monsters he needs to fill the seats on his panel. It's about Russert's ego, stupid.
With the advent of the Internet, Mr. Russert's reputation has been called out on numerous occasions as less than pristine, and I'm "VERY" glad Senator Clinton had also done so during her debate when questioned by him and his sidekick (yawn) Brian WIlliams pointing out their disadvantaged First questioning order to her compared to ther candidates - clearly advantaging Obama.
At least he knows he's being watched now, and has greatly lost much of his prestige and status as the tough but fair, Maverick journalist. He's as much a Maverick as Ol' Johnny McLame.
We're watching you, Timmy.
Have any of you seen The Bill Moyers Journal? He is great. I wish they would find a show for Salon's Glen Greenwald- he is fantastic. Greenwald would not get a corporate media job-- way too truthful.
Good post Peter!
They have a much more appropriate role for him on a show he could truly contribute to:
The Biggest Loser!
http://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p=817
It was made for him.